


Death is for other people, dear.

by madefrommagic



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Angst, F/F, F/M, Romance, Tragedy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-21
Updated: 2018-08-30
Packaged: 2019-06-30 19:00:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,651
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15757773
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/madefrommagic/pseuds/madefrommagic
Summary: You really think the master would let themselves just... die? Set at the end of The Doctor Falls.





	1. Here

Something was wrong.

The Doctor opened his eyes with a gasp, heaving until his lungs hurt. Her voice still rang through his mind; that soft, taunting, beckoning, heart stopping–

Missy.

The Mistress.

The Master.

Missy.

She had changed. He knew it. He  _knew._

"Doctor."

His head whipped around, fully expecting to meet those blue eyes and that wry smile. Let it be true, he thought. He reached out for a hand.

_Stand with me._

But there really was no one there.

Confused, The Doctor lifted himself from the ground, winching slightly as his body ached in protest.

Come to think of it, where was there?

He knew he had somehow revived himself, but he wasn't sure exactly how, and he certainly wasn't in his TARDIS, nor a burning field of Mondasian Cybermen. (He really wasn't complaining about the lack of the latter.)

Instead, the Doctor seemed to find himself in a poorly decorated grey office. He could not for the life of him figure out why. He also had an awful headache.

Flinging back the curtains from a window beside him, The Doctor immediately deducted that he was in a sphere – by the looks of things anyway:

Dark, eerily lit skyscrapers hung from the sky (or was it the ceiling?) and thousands more sloped down the sides of the sphere until they came to stand up-right before him. Or maybe he was upside down. You really don't know with these sorts of things. 

Part of him felt as if he should know where he was, a distant echo from the past, a blurred memory. But his head really hurt.

Hence why he reckoned where he stood was kind of like an inside-out version of Earth. Slightly comforting to think, although mostly just unsettling and barely helpful at all

Earth made him think of Bill and that triggered something akin to grief. He realised he had no idea what had happened to her amidst the fire. It made him feel a little sick, not knowing something so crucial. His thoughts seemed to race and he caught himself pacing. Everything was heightened, electric, buzzing. 

Then, suddenly, he heard it again.

"Doctor."

He spun ninety degrees, hearts pounding. "Missy?" The room was still empty. He found her to be his only clear notion, causing an irrevocable need to find her and assure she was safe. That and something else...

The Doctor stumbled for a moment and eventually focused on a wall, then soon located a door and bee-lined for it. He had just missed the handle when it turned soundlessly and the door opened to reveal a man stood in a stalk white hallway wearing a bright blue suit and an overbearingly fake smile. The Doctor resisted the urge to recoil, failing almost instantly.

God, what pounding headache this was.

"Hello! You alright?" The man asked brightly, (as uncomfortably bright as his suit, The Doctor thought), and stepped inside the office, shutting the door behind him.

The Doctor took a rather large step backwards as he did so, and giving a strained nod, he replied, "Er. Hullo. Yes, I am. Well, actually, that depends... what's your definition of alright?"

The man, who was also holding an ipad, let out a single, bold, 'ha'. The Doctor refuses to admit he jumped at this.

Lifting a blue arm, The man wiped away a tear that wasn't really there, sighing. "I love the ones with humour. Makes it  _a lot_  easier." He held his free hand out in greeting. "I'm Ted. "

The Doctor, although a little slower than usual, recalled noticing a plaque on the desk inscribed with the same name mere seconds before. Naturally, he ignored the handshake offer and eyed the ipad suspiciously. Definitely human, then. Humans in a sphere. 

"...Right, okay. Hello Ted. I'm The Doctor. Can you tell me where I am exactly or just... get out of the way so I can find out?"

Ted, plastic smile still intact, opened his mouth to reply but was, unfortunately, stopped short as a deadly scream erupted down the hallway. The Doctor barely had a chance to react when the door swung open again and an alarmingly small child popped her head around it, pigtails swinging. Ted turned to address her.

"Turns out he was a burner." She said in a voice belonging to someone no more than six years old.

"Ah." Ted simply replied.

He looked over to The Doctor and said, ever so politely, "I'm awfully sorry, would you excuse me? This really is quite serious." Before turning on his polished heel and striding out the door, leaving the little girl blinking up at The Doctor.

He stared back silently, trying to figure out why they'd have a child in such an odd place. The odd circumstances seemed to have breathed a new energy into his fraught mind.

"Are you new?" She asked. This was the first in a long string of questions, not an unfamiliar situation for The Doctor, but nonetheless irritating with time. 

However, information was a necessity.

"What makes me new?" The Doctor asked gruffly in return, his brows drawn in their habitual expression. 

"Well, you're in Ted's office. This is where all the new people usually come from."  

"Okay." He tried to be more specific. "Where's Ted's office?"

"It's here. You're in it right now. You know that, right?" 

He was starting to get impatient; Sass never went down well, especially not in this particular incarnation. It was anathema to him. 

"Yes, I do." His irritation was terribly masked. "But _where_ am I new too?"

The little girl frowned. "What do you mean?"

The Doctor sighed, rubbing his nose and crouching down to meet her wide brown eyes. 'Guess who' it was then.

"What's your name?"

"What's your name!" Although vexing, she had a point. He was a stranger.

This time he did smile, because she was clever, and The Doctor always loved clever people.

"I'm The Doctor."

No sooner had he said it, he realised his mistake. Drawing her little eyebrows together, she uttered,

"Doctor Who?"

This was not a long day. It was simply endless.

The Doctor buried his face into his hands for a brief moment in complete exasperation. He'd started to hope people would stop doing that now. Or maybe just not on this specific, train wreck of a day.

"Just. The Doctor. I'm The Doctor. That's my name. I know, it's weird, what kind of name is that? Well, It's my name. I am The Doctor." His words carried a weight he didn't know was in the initial intent. 

"Oh, okay. Hi." The girl fidgeted with a button on her cardigan, nervous all of a sudden. "I'm Dawn Noble."

He took her shoulders, wanting to get to the point, quickly. "Listen Dawn, Lassie– Wait. Did you say Noble?"

"Yes."

The Doctor eyed her ginger hair for a moment before shaking his head. It was just a second name. 

"Listen, Dawn." He said, gentler now. "Please don't make my day any harder than it already has been. I need your help, okay?"

Dawn nodded again, an expression of complete seriousness crossing her tiny face. He prayed it was honest.

"Where do you live, Dawn?"

"I live here."

"Where's here?"

Dawn suddenly looked very worried. The Doctor shook her gently. "Where's here?"

"I..." She glanced around, lifting a hand to her mouth before meeting his eyes again. "I don't know." Tears began to form in her eyes as her lip wobbled.

Oh great. Now there was a crying child.

"Don't cry." This had a polar effect, of course. "Oh for gods sake- don't cry!" Dawn was basically sobbing now. He was panicking a little. All this wailing would draw potentially unwanted attention and he really wasn't in the state to console a child.

Still, he attempted. The Doctor gave Dawn an awkward squeeze. "Listen, no, cheer up, It's... it's fine!" He patted her head. 

She sniffled, quietening down. "Really?"

He feigned a smile. "Yeahh! Loads of people... don't know... where they live. Honestly, more common than you think. Don't worry about it. I don't really know where I live."

Dawn wiped her nose with her pink sleeve. "O-okay."

"It is okay. You're safe with me."

He felt a little bad for her. She was only a child and she looked so lost. He wanted to ask where her parents where but feared that if the answer was negative, he'd only invoke more tears. She really was scared.

His head really really hurt.

" **Doctor.** " 

"Missy." He muttered, rising to stand again. He wished he'd made her stay with him, although his better judgement knows he can never tell The Master what to do. Except he thought she might come back. He wanted her to come back.

"You know Missy?" Dawn's tiny voice suddenly asked.

The Doctor looked down at her, surprised. " _You_  know Missy?" She nodded.

He was still incredulous. "My Missy? Are you sure?"

"Yes, I think so. What does she look like?"

He frowned for a moment as he pondered the suitable description. Without moving an inch he fired: "Purple lady, blue eyes, umbrella, expressive hair. Kind of seductive but in a way that should not be, at all."

"I don't know what seductive means, but yes, I know her."

The Doctor cleared his throat turning slightly red. "Urm, forget I said that. Do you happen to know where she is?"

Dawn clearly didn't want to drop this. "Does it mean you fancy her?"

"Do you know where she is?" He repeated, refusing to make eye contact with the child.

"Because I'm pretty sure Ted fancies her too, I mean, he keeps making her tea and–"

"Goodbye Dawn." He said, walking away. Idly he wondered where Ted might be, for... reasons. Tea also sounded quite nice.

A few moments later, he heard the tapping of shoes as Dawn scurried down the hall after him. Once she had caught up, she took his long hand with her little one and it could've been considered a cute, maybe almost heart lifting action– that is if he wasn't feeling fried to the bone and harbouring recent bad memories of hand holding. It brought him to a stop and he peered down at the child beside him. 

"I know where your girlfriend is." Dawn said, smiling in a smug-six-year-old way. "Do not fear."

He flushed again, averting his gaze and replying with gravel in his voice.

"She's not my..." A sigh. "You know what it doesn't matter. Let's just go." 

"Is that a thank you?" Dawn said, raising her brows and reminding him terribly of Amy. 

The Doctor pursed his lips. "Yes, fine, okay. If it makes you feel better. Now will you shut up and do something useful? I feel like my brain is going to implode."

"You're very grumpy. I think you really do need to see your girlfriend."

He decided it best not to comment, but thought, with a secret smile, that little girls where always the best of companions. At least this time there wasn't a crack in the wall.

 

* * *

 

The door burst open. "Missy!"

"Hello Ted." Missy sighed, rolling her eyes to the ceiling.

Ted didn't seem to notice. "I brought you some Tea."

"Great. That's... great." It's a pity. She used to like Tea.

He took a seat beside her. This was the nicest room in the Nethersphere; fireplace, recliners, 52-inch high definition TV. Lovely place to watch cartoons. Of course, only she knew where it was. This had been her humble abode at some point.

How Ted had found it was beyond her.

"So." He begun, custard cream in hand. "How's life."

"I think you know the answer to that, Ted."

"Right. Sorry."

She supposed she could just condemn him to the same fate as dear old Doctor Chang and Seb. But then again, she was doing this whole good thing now. It was sort of annoying. She seemed to have developed a conscience as well as this awful stinging in her chest.

"Are you still upset about what happened yesterday?" Ted asked.

"What do you think?" Missy snapped.

"Sorry."

She didn't know what to do now.

She only knew one thing: she had chosen to stand with The Doctor. Never had she been more certain of anything.

Now that choice would haunt her even in death.

She wished she'd never made this damn Nethersphere. She was surrounded by idiots and all she could think about was The Doctor. Not that that was anything new.

But letting herself die? Forever? That's the one thing she could never let happen, and she'd made sure of that long before.


	2. Need

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I never thought I'd refer to a wall so often in one chapter.
> 
> I'm literally so sorry this is one of the saddest things I have ever written.

The child was still hanging onto his fingers, her hand small and smooth against his sandpaper skin. She’d taken to skipping - which was a bit irritating. More than a bit. His arm was not a swing. That would be a questionable regeneration, at the very least. He couldn’t imagine how that would benefit anyone at all.

They’d been walking down this white corridor for ages, in his opinion anyway. In reality it had only been about fifteen minutes, but anyone could assume this expanse of bright nothing was eternity. That and the fact he was naturally inclined to become restless enduring linear time.

The Doctor was getting impatient.

The impatience stemmed from several obvious sources. Most pressingly, Missy’s voice kept cutting through his head as if he were reading fragments of Shappo. (Brilliant girl. The full poetry was much more coherent. Bill had been thrilled.)

It was a clear, sinister call to him from the past. He’d heard many calls in his head earlier, of which were the effects of his over-due regeneration, but it was no surprise the Master’s voice had woken him. They seemed to have a talent for making him jump.

“ _Doctor.”_

 _WHERE ARE YOU?_ He called back internally.

_Are you in my head?_

No. He'd know that.

Furthermore, he still didn’t understand this place and was seemingly no closer to understanding. This he found highly frustrating.

Then there was Dawn, who kept asking him questions… like a companion would.

His hearts felt too weak. He was too fresh from the battlefield for this. She reminded him of reasons to be guilty, to despair. He felt _weathered_.

Still, her child-like innocence had helped… a little.

“You must have been brave.” Dawn said, stumbling over her ‘r’. She’d been quiet for a while. He thought maybe there’d finally be some peace. (He's not sure what's worse, endless prattle or endless time to think.)

This was interesting, though. Peculiar. He had no idea what she was talking about, of course.

“Brave?” He asked.

“Before, I mean.” She clarified, as if that made it any clearer.

Before...?

The Doctor felt his head pulse again. His mind showed him his horrendous day in a wash of sensations, effortlessly (torturously) swift. It would hardly be a strain to remember, since it literally just happened. The mists of time hadn’t fogged that over for him, yet.

The ending still doesn’t make sense. There where no stars. He remembers that.

Was he brave?

“Yes... I suppose I was...” He muttered, furrowing his bushy brows. 

When he glanced down, two doe-eyes blinked up at him, curious. He saw the faces of countless children in her. It would be easy to feel sad, like it is always easy to feel sad. But unlike a human, a Time Lord is made to carry the burden of time for longer, is given the luxury of a stronger mind and two hearts to compensate for the pain. Generally, the tears can be held at bay. It didn’t mean they where invincible, though. Missy proved that the floodgates could be opened. The Doctor reckons he reached his limit a long, long time ago.

He keeps going anyway. He wakes up again and again, he saves children like this one, and he is always there for the universe.

Today, the Doctor decided to amuse himself. He smiled gently at Dawn, who seemed to be her own little enigma.

“How did you guess that?”

“Your coat is all burnt.” She said, fingering a frayed hole.

He chuckled. Somehow he was reminded of Missy. Although, right then, a lot seemed to be reminding him of her... How long was this stupid corridor?

“And you have that look.” Dawn continued. A beat passed. “Mummy had it.”

Oh.  _Had_. Not so amusing.

“What about Dad?”

"Not so much.” 

He rephrased. “Is he... around?”

She shook her head, pigtails bouncing. Her freckled nose crumpled, as if she were recalling a bad memory.

He fell silent for a moment, considering this small girl and the sadness of her situation. Stuck in what he presumed might be some sort of an institution, with no apparent guardian. Teds strange behaviour wasn’t clicking into place. His brain wasn’t working fast enough.

_Why ipads?_

“I’m sorry.” The Doctor said.

The child gave him a surprised look, then shrugged clumsily.

“It’s okay. I’m not alone. You’ve felt it too,  _before_.”

He didn’t reply. Something suspiciously tear-like was gathering in his eyes from the shock of those words. How could she guess such a thing? How could she possibly be so _wise?_ He pulled himself together quickly.

Children. They seemed to have more depth than a group of adults put together. Except this child behaved as if she’d seen something she shouldn’t have.

“Mister Doctor?” Dawn’s small voice piped after a moment.

 _Mister_ Doctor. “I’m fine.” The Doctor replied, somewhat defensive.

“Okay…I just thought you might want to know that we’re here.” She said.

He stopped, shoes squeaking, hearts tripping. The sass passed over him, on account of the fact his eyes wouldn’t move from his feet all of sudden.

Why was he so… nervous? This was completely ridiculous. He could hear Bill laughing now.

But he knew what he felt.

_What if she really doesn’t want to be on my side? What If I’m wrong?_

He remembered. He saw her wide glassy eyes and felt his own trembling hands.

_‘It’s all I’ve ever wanted…’_

_‘Me too’_

_Then why did you leave?_

The Doctor looked up sharply.

And saw a wall.

They where just stood, unmoving, in front of a smooth, white wall.  _A wall_. It looked as if it was made out of solid marble for how bright it was. The child made no further comment.

To say he was confused would be an understatement. Insane might have been a better word.

What sane person would run at a solid wall?

“What are you doing?” Dawn asked, pouting. (She’d thought he was a bit strange, but this was bordering on frightening.)

Within seconds, The Doctor had collided with the surface, hands smacking clean against it. He placed an ear straight to the smoothness, the picture of great focus – a single brow raised, face stony, complete stillness. After a moment of this, he started to feel the wall over instead, speaking lowly.

“There must be a door or something...” He muttered. “Ah… I’ve lost my sun-glasses…”

Dawn simply stared. “Are you okay?”

The fraught feeling was back again, tearing at his insides, ruffling his hair. This felt like a cruel trick, for all that he has _lost._ He almost snapped at the poor girl.

“Dawn, please, would you just stop asking questions for one minute?”

“What questions? Why are you being so weird?”

His fingers moved to grip at his silver curls. “Like that!” He growled, and kicked the wall in frustration.

Dawn watched him hop around in agony for a few minutes, seemingly unfazed, before she decided to enlighten him.

“Didn’t Ted tell you how it works?”

The Doctor put his foot down, grimacing. Then he saw the girl and almost gasped. Dawn stood centred, only a few steps from him, with a small halo of light around her. She looked ethereal. Her hands where clasped as if in prayer.

Oh, great. He’d missed some mandatory ‘how-to-glow’ introduction-

_Greetings package_

-Whatever welcome procedure was _meant_ to happen in this place. A place he doesn’t even know how he got too. A place his mind insists he knows but he  _doesn’t_. 

It only made him more annoyed, more upset and angr _y._ His voice came out desperate instead.

“Please just... show me. Show me where she is.”

Dawns red lips fell open. The Doctor received no more innocent follow up questions, no more curious stares... she simply obeyed, nodding once. Stepping to the right, she reached out one tiny finger and pressed a little button - hardly visible at all. In fact, it seemed to just... appear. 

The sound it made sounded suspiciously like an intercom. The voice on the other end was ratty and irritated.

“Who is it?” 

It was _her_ voice. The Doctor found his throat dry all of a sudden. He stopped breathing, silenced by how quickly she’d been found.

Black ballet pumps stood on their tiptoes as the child reached up to respond.

“It’s Dawn.”

A crackle. “Hello Poppet,” she said in a brighter tone. “Is this important?”

“Yes... I-I think so... I brought your boyfriend.”

As soon as she’d uttered this, there was a flash of light and a screen appeared on the wall. Instant. Dropping out of the sky with an umbrella, _there,_ always ready.

Two hypnotic blue eyes, wide, brilliant.

Missy blinked. Her shock was evident, tugging her entire face upward and puckering her lips.

“Doctor!”

He swallowed.

“Missy.”

_Relief._

She stared at him for a full minute, frozen. Then, as if she had suddenly been frightened, she jumped up, frantic, and grabbed the screen to peer closer – like she wasn’t sure it was really _him_. Her hair still had that captive look, madly frizzed, wild around her face.

She looked tired.

“No… this-this can’t be right… what are _you_ doing here?” Her voice was panicked and strangely emotional. Something like dread flashed in her eyes.

“Oh, right.” Said another voice, off screen. It sounded sheepish. Ted came into view seconds later, glancing over Missy’s shoulder. He had crumbs on his cheek.

The Doctor scowled.

“That’s the new arrival.” Ted said.

Smiling, he addressed The Doctor, speaking a little too loudly as if he where deaf.

“I apologise for leaving you back there. As you heard, I had some important business to attend too.” Ted pulled a face to illustrate, somewhat like a screaming Halloween mask. Only much worse.

Missy quickly shoved him aside, rolling her eyes. An audible ‘thump’ could be heard and the image shook briefly.

“Don’t listen to him,” Missy said. “He’s an Idiot.”

Her eyes drooped when she looked at The Doctor again. It was as if she held all the world on her shoulders all of sudden. The entire universe, draped over her like a cape. That was something which should thrill her if it where any other day.

This was not any other day.

Missy took a breath. He tilted his chin up, attentive.

“Docto-“

The screen cut off. Smooth white glared back again. His mind was suddenly crystal clear, holding only a single thought.

_No._

“What happened?” The Doctor demanded, turning to Dawn, who hadn’t moved an inch from the wall.

She looked frightened for a moment when she met his gaze. “I-I don’t know.”

The Doctor growled and kicked the wall once more, wincing. He ran a hand over his face. This was just… typical. So close to finding her, to understanding something… and then she’s just gone? Except he wasn’t close, not really. That was just a screen; the real Missy could be miles away. She didn’t look okay either.

And what did she mean what was _he_ doing here?

Sighing, he lent against the wall, a rather nice change from physically abusing it. He looked at Dawn – the elfish little creature swamped by a huge pink jumper. It didn’t look like it even belonged to a child. She peered up at him in that curious manner again, trusting despite his childish outburst.

He had an Idea.

“Can you do me a favour?” The Doctor asked softly, kneeling down to her level. There’s moment of hesitation, small, pursed lips. She nods.

“Can you show me how you did that, just then? How you summoned that button?”

Dawn tilted her head, unsure.

“You glowed? Come on, you have to have noticed that!” His Scottish accent came through in his gruffness, causing her to giggle at him.

Slowly and sweetly, the child smiled. Her eyes gleamed like starlight.

“Okay, Mister Doctor.”

 

* * *

 

“I’m sorry, I– I forgot to tell you!”

“GET. OUT.”

Ted dodged a knife as it flew toward him, barely an inch from his throat. It lodged into the wall behind with a horrifying thud. His eyes bulged at the sight of it.

“R-right, yes. Better be off… someone’ll be dying to see me.” He grinned, nervous despite his ill-timed attempt at humour.

Another knife, just above his ear. He squealed.

“Bye!”

Ted skittered across the room and the door slammed behind him, a flash of light breaking the dimness of the room only briefly.

Missy _screamed._

Wrapped in her hands and snaking over her knuckles where snapped wires - the ones the idiot boy had broken by scrambling up after she’d pushed him over. They sparked angrily, scorching her fingers. The colour was harsh against her pale skin.

That wasn’t why tears tumbled so fiercely down her cheeks, but it was a good enough excuse. Good enough to scare her company away when she became hysterical.

Alone now, she unravelled. Her existence was feeble in this place, her mind scattered. She was a mess. Just like she used to make all those bodies.

Great, here comes crushing guilt. What joy. This never would’ve happened before… before…

Her hearts twinged almost painfully.

“He’s here.” She sobbed, clutching at the wires even tighter.

There could only be one reason why his stormy eyes and curly hair stood in these halls. She couldn’t even think it; she didn’t _want_ to think it. A world…a _universe_ without…

The Doctor was dead.

 

* * *

 

 “Do you think we’ve been punished?” Murmured Dawn.

The Doctor stared at her. Her little figure was stood perfectly straight, her eyelashes fanning over rounded cheeks as she closed her eyes. She was glowing again.

“If we have.” He said, words like glass shards. “I promise I’ll get you out of here.”

Dawn opened her brown, endless eyes.

"You just think of what you feel and what you need will come.”

“What?”

“To glow. They have to be connected though.”

The Doctor nodded, sceptical but willing. _What on earth was she on about?_ Clearing his throat, he clasped his hands together and thought of everything.

Then he thought of Missy.

 

* * *

 

The blue-suited bastard had taken her last packet of custard crèmes.

Missy sniffed, curled up on her recliner. Her mascara would no doubt be all over her face – the puffiness of her eyes being a result of atrocious crying. She didn’t particularly care, since she was no longer living, but wiped at her cheeks with the back of her hand anyway. Her skin tingled.

The Doctor had never said how much it would hurt to feel sorry. To be ‘good’. Missy felt as if she was now in a constant state of sorrow and pain, mourning everything she’d ever done with her life. This was her perpetual state. No longer was she in control, no longer did time bend to her will and take her feeling.

How could he just have, have  _watched_ her cry all those times? How could he just have stepped away?

Didn’t he see how much she needed him?

A bitter spark went through her, familiar and somewhat comforting. It was short-lived, as she soon remembered that he was _dead_ , and the tears came back, fresh and cleansing.

 _Idiot._ She thought, before a white light engulfed her completely.

Next thing she knew she was face to face with the idiot himself.


End file.
